But it’s the picture captured in black-and-white that elicits the most colourful response at first sight.

No matter how many times you look you can’t help but laugh at the shocked grimace on Gazza’s face.

Then wince in sympathy when one look at the stern narrow-eyed expression of Jones makes it clear just how tight a grip he had on the crown jewels of English football’s new jewel in the crown.

The day was Saturday, February 6, 1998, in a First Division clash between Wimbledon and Newcastle at the ramshackle but notoriously rambunctious Plough Lane in south west London.

For even the most seasoned professionals this was a daunting place to go to face Bobby Gould’s infamous “Crazy Gang” - a group of highly motivated and extremely physical players led by their madman-in-chief, Jones.

So as a raw 20-year-old prodigy arriving with a growing reputation as the next big thing in English football, Gascoigne must have expected to step into the carnage with a target on his back.

Unfortunately for him, that’s not where Jones was aiming when he was ordered to stick to Gazza like a limpet to mark him out of the game. Vinnie’s target was very much at the front.

Purists may pour scorn on such disgraceful behaviour and it’s fair to say that in today’s namby-pamby modern climate, Jones would have been sine died from the game and risked the wrath of a court judge.

But that only makes this legendary picture all the more celebrated as a snapshot of a bygone age when men were men and footballers hard as nails.

It’s now a cherished piece of football history - right up there with that terrific image of Dave Mackay grabbing fellow Scots hardman Billy Bremner by the shirt during a game between Spurs and Leeds in 1966.

But what you may not realise about this famous old snap is that another Scot played a cameo role in that madcap afternoon at Plough Lane.

Gazza celebrates his second goal with Darren Jackson, Michael O'Neil and Peter Jackson in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham (Image: NCJ Archive)

Darren Jackson - former Celtic, Dundee United and at the time a Newcastle team-mate of Gascoigne’s - played in that hard fought goalless draw.

And it seems that Gazza wasn’t the only one to have his man-handle manhandled on a day of dirty tricks.

Jackson smiled: “What no one realises is that John Fashanu did the same thing to me on the same day!

“I think that was their party trick, so it might have happened to other players as well.

“I think I got off lighter than Gazza, though. It was just a quick squeeze and that it was over with. Maybe there wasn’t as much to grasp!

“But seriously, there’s no doubt Gazza got the worst of it. He was the star of the team and Vinnie targeted him for that.

“I can remember him coming off the pitch terrified, so much so that he was crying in the dressing room.

“That picture perfectly captures one moment of physical abuse - but Vinnie verbally abused him from start to finish in that game.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

“I don’t know what he was saying to Gazza but I dread to think. I’m sure you couldn’t print the kind of stuff that would have been coming out of his mouth.

“But it wasn’t about what he said so much as his menacing presence.

“Everywhere Gazza went Vinnie was there too, constantly in his face. He was probably never more than five yards away from him for the whole game.

“It was incredible to see - but he had a job to do and that’s the way they went about their business.

“Back in those days you were allowed to tackle, to go through people and maybe you would get a wee warning from the referee. You were always allowed a few heavy ones before the cards came out.

“So you can imagine what happened as soon as Gazza got the ball.

“It was completely targeted of course. Even at that young age Gazza was the star, the gifted talent who won games for Newcastle.

“So there’s no doubt Wimbledon wanted to shut him down - and Vinnie certainly did it that day.”

A goalless draw was hailed by Wimbledon assistant Don Howe as the reward for one of the best man-marking jobs he had ever witnessed in his long illustrious career.

But for Newcastle there was a sense of victory too. Not so much in terms of the result, but simply getting out alive from the second-most intimidating arena in English football.

Top spot, of course, belonged to the even more fearsome surroundings of The Den - the aptly-named home of Millwall’s carnivorous crowd and equally terrifying players, including former Rangers hatchet man Terry Hurlock.

Legendary hatchetman Hurlock

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But looking back now, these trips to the dodgier ends of London were the making of young pros like himself and Gascoigne.

Jackson added: “Just getting out that day felt like a victory. Forget the point we’d earned, it was just a relief when we were on the bus heading home.

“Plough Lane and Millwall’s old Den were tiny, scary places to go. Visiting teams just wanted to get in, get the job done and get out unscathed - and it was certainly scary that day.

“Millwall had the scarier crowd but on the pitch no one did intimidation better than the Wimbledon boys.

“Plough Lane was a horrible place to go. The stands were right on top of you, the dressing rooms weren’t great and everything felt tight and enclosed.

“If it’s a big pitch they’d find it harder to get near you but at Plough Lane there was no escape because it was so tight.

“Everything was physical. Don’t get me wrong, technically they were good players but, my God, they were hard.

“I ended up playing with two of them later in my career, Dave Beasant and Andy Thorn - amazing boys. But at Wimbledon they just had a team spirit where they knew what they were good at and used it to the full.

“It worked for them too. Later that year they beat Liverpool to win the FA Cup so you can’t really knock it.

“And in the final when you see how Vinnie smashed into Steve McMahon - who was a seriously hard man - you knew they could do it to most people.

“In this generation half of these guys would be in the jail for saying and doing the things they did back then.

Highbury was an iconic stadium (Image: Getty)

“But as much as I loved playing at incredible stadiums like Anfield, the old Highbury and Old Trafford, I’m glad I experienced the murkier side like Millwall and Plough Lane.

“They liked to make it hard and try to intimidate other teams and that’s probably why they had so much success at home.

“Listen, I was just a young boy about nine stone in weight but was it a great experience? Absolutely.

“Getting eaten alive by Terry Hurlock is a scary thought but the thing guys like him didn’t get the credit for was that they could actually play.

“They weren’t just boys who came on to the pitch and booted you up and down. I mean, they did boot you up and down - but when they got the ball they could play.

“Millwall weren’t so much about the verbals as Wimbledon were. Mostly they preferred to talk with their feet and bodies.

“But I would never be so disrespectful to say that’s all they could do because the likes of Hurlock, Fashanu and, of course, Vinnie - they were all good players.”